cadet blogs

AIMing for the Right Decision

(Choosing the Coast Guard Academy, Class of 2012) Permanent link All Posts

It’s April now, which means classes are ending, final exams are beginning (ugh), and summer training is just around the corner. Just a few weeks ago I received my assignment as an AIM cadre this summer. For those unfamiliar, AIM (Academy Introductory Mission) is a summer Admissions program for rising high school seniors that simulates the trainings and intensity of Swab Summer over the course of a week in July. It serves as a way for prospective cadets to get a feel for what life will be like in the first few weeks at the Academy, when speaking in the third person and eating meals like a robot suddenly become the norm.

While I never went to AIM myself, I’ve heard only positive things about it from my classmates and would encourage anyone considering coming to the Academy to at least consider enrolling in AIM if they have the chance. The firsthand experience of it can be one of the best deciding factors in determining whether or not you really have the desire and drive necessary to overcome the challenges you will be presented with here at the Coast Guard Academy.

Some of these challenges I’ll be facing for the first time this summer, as this will be the first time several of my other shipmates and I will be responsible for overseeing the training, safety, and logistics of a large group of people. It will certainly be a tough leadership experience, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.

More about Mark.

Posted by Leann Strickland at 2/1/2012 3:11 PM